caulfield12

Ask the Cubs if they though Hendricks and Hamel were going to get hurt...they couldn’t even be sure Darvish would not be a basket case. Having Chatwood and Montgomery to work out of the bullpen has mostly worked out (albeit overpaid). They’re currently using a minor leaguer/placeholder and they tried Alzolay as well. Even the 2005 White Sox desperately needed a fresh Brandon McCarthy down the stretch.

After you get past Gerrit Cole, there’s certainly a next tier of guys like Bumgarner, Hamels, Wheeler, Ryu (see health history), maybe Strasburg, Odorizzi (he’s been fading recently). That’s something like 6-7 pitchers Sox (most/some) fans would be happy to get. But that’s also true for every team in baseball. Gonzales would be in that next group along with the likes of Alex Wood (has missed entire season, will struggle to get past 150-160 innings next year after missing 4 months), Michael Wacha, Kyle Gibson, Porcello, Chacin, Fiers, etc. They could all be Ivan Novas in waiting, none are guaranteed to work out. Getting Gonzales for a reasonable price locks in a guaranteed #3/4 starter...then you can really set your sights on the top of the leaderboard.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/seattle-mariners/marco-gonzales-18161/ I missed the 2020 salary...$1 million, so exactly like trading for Quintana for the Cubs, pretty much.

Why? They’re going to need all the pitching they can get...

But being league average, where he currently resides...isn’t likely to continue into his age 32-33 seasons. Not if you’ve been paying attention to the trouble he’s been having recently with just typical MLB fastballs over the heart of the plate. If he can recover the final two months and raise it back to 850 ops most would have no problem bringing him back for 2020. There’s also got to be recognition he doesn’t play championship level defense...which you really need with Moncada and Anderson on the left side, scooping or flagging down errant throws.

https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=15172&position=SS We should be realistic about Anderson. 2.5 fWAR is probably his norm, 3ish in a really good season. He’s not going to hurt you there (right around league average), but his OBP will always drag his value along with his careless defensive mistakes. Mammoth is pushing it, at any rate...his leadership, energy and swagger were all definitely missed.

The Patron Saint of Lost Causes (everyday playing time for Jose Rondon throughout the offseason) weeps...

You’re also forgetting there’s a very good chance he walks after five years...if he continues to maintain his production level and health and salaries continue to skyrocket.

https://www.mlb.com/video/jorge-polanco-reaches-on-a-fielding-error-by-third-baseman-yoan-moncada-byron-bu

If Marco Gonzales was on the White Sox, he’d be Jose Quintana 2 and highly valued by Sox fans...at least a #2 starter.

At the time he was having a pretty good, but not great season. 50% of it’s about positional needs and filling out the roster with players from other teams. 25% at least is based on past reputation... http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/3b/sort/OPS/order/true Moncada has clearly had the better season, but look how many guys he has to compete with at third...Devers, Bregman, Chapman, etc. http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/position/1b/sort/OPS/order/true Jose is basically middle of the pack if we go by the most important stat, OPS, OBP+SLG. Santana was named because he’s had a very good season and the game was in CLE. In the NL, he (Jose) would have been buried behind six other players. Look at #8-12...all American Leaguers, but none have the name recognition or play on really bad teams. Once you get to the ASG the first time, it’s much easier to go back again and again. Gurriel gets overshadowed on the Astros...Jose only has 3-4 players on the Sox just a few diehard baseball fans know well to compete with. Voit, overshadowed and has never been named. And six of the best first basemen 5 years ago are below Abreu...all well-known players struggling for various reasons.

Even if Whitley flops, they still have Tucker and Alvarez.

You can add on mishandling the Russell situation, signing Descalso and being in the position where you have to hope and pray some dude named Robel Garcia who played four years in Italy can continue to play over his head...eventually the scouts will catch up to him.

2015-2018=4 But last year felt like a miss because they blew the division lead, lost in Game 163 and lost the Wild Card game. The opposite of 2008 for the White Sox.

His next bromide will be how much the Cubs/Sinclair broadcasting are charging everyone for Marquee Network...just the name alone is annoying. And how they can raise now payroll to $275-300 million... The Cubs do have an ace in the hole, though. Because Sinclair is the largest operator of local networks in the country, they could wield significant leverage against any provider that doesn’t want to pay the Cubs’ RSN price: either you carry the Cubs channel at $6 per month in the greater Chicago area, or we cut off your access to your local ABC/FOX/NBC/CBS stations owned by Sinclair. It’s a cudgel Sinclair used before in getting the carriage it wanted for the Tennis Channel after it purchased that network in 2016. (Notably, Sinclair does not currently own any local providers in Chicago – they tried to buy WGN-9 recently, but were blocked – but they do own stations in downstate Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana. Plus, there’s nothing to say they couldn’t leverage stations in other markets if they wanted to be really aggressive.)

Will happily take the disastrous Kimbrel line tonight for the fantasy team. Crazy...Yelich and Huira homers to chalk it off. Saladino walked in the middle of all that, he’s like 8/60 on the season but had grand slams Sunday and Monday...talking about role players who will be eligible for free beer for life in Wisconsin. Huira picked 9th, two spots before Burger at 11th. Jo Adell, one of the best prospects in baseball now, selected 10th.

Rangel Ravelo sighting...made last out for the Cardinals tonight, 1/16 on the season with 8 k’s, 2010 sixth rounder.

Need to see what Minnesota and CLE do going into next season...2020, sure.

Geoff Blum...can he still get a free drink in Chicago? Shaller’s Pump closed... You’re going to be hard-pressed to find four better than Contreras, Baez, Bryant, Rizzo...maybe Houston, Boston, Yankees or Dodgers can come up with three or four with similar value.

Okay...I was basically just quoting the Twins’ radio announcers, who were questioning the lack of aggressiveness from a team going nowhere. Will have to look at the replay. Buxton can throw well when he has momentum behind him, coming in on the ball.

Darvish might work out in the end. Zobrist paid for himself in 2016 and was surprisingly effective for his age until this year. Overall, he’s better with trades, like Jesse Chavez last summer.

Sounds like a golfer from the Carolinas...

Four pitchers inserted in less than one inning. Finally over, 2-2 tie into the 9th. Guess Kintzler is unavailable, or he doesn't trust him except the 6th/7th...which is weird if you look at the relievers he did choose.

Sometimes I seriously wonder if posters have ever watched some of the people we’re discussing on other teams...

Brewers have the tying run at third against our old friend Derek Holland. Cishek just got lit up. Scratch that, another pitching change, third of the inning. Chatwood in. Two outs, Hiura up. Indians could be just 1 GB and have an easy schedule the next three series following KC.